


The Rose Garden's Thrones of Thorns

by eri_quin



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Transformers (Bay Movies), Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: F/M, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-04-28
Updated: 2015-04-28
Packaged: 2018-03-26 05:17:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Underage
Chapters: 5
Words: 15,502
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3838534
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/eri_quin/pseuds/eri_quin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Harry, with no memory, was thrown back in time and reverted to a babe and female, and adopted by the Gould family. Her guardians end up being Barricade, Starscream, and Soundwave, but it's her brother who seems to care for her the most. In the end, how will that clash with the Autobots and what is her role in this new world? Includes DecepticonPrincess!Harry and Hallows sentience.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Fated Rose

Harry stood triumphantly, catching the Elder Wand in his hand, more relieved than anything. It was finally over and as Voldemort faded away into ashes, he was willing to just let his knees give and collapse to the ground. After everything, he thought he'd deserved a moment of weakness. The Elder Wand vibrated excitedly in his hand and hummed happily in his mind. He glanced at it warily before sighing to himself.

At least Voldemort was gone and the war was over.

And Ginny…perhaps, it was finally time to ask her if she wanted to be with him…even though he preferred –a remembrance of her bright red hair and her sweet smile; no, it was best if he stayed with Ginny. Get together with her, get married, and have kids with her. It was what was expected…

Looking at the wand one more time, he decided to toss it away so that no one could ever use it for their own gain ever again. He went over to the broken apart bridge and leaned over the edge, tossing it over.

He felt the angry shock before he fell to the ground unconscious.

When his friends found him, they panicked and cried as they realized they couldn't wake him and he wasn't coming back to them any time soon. And in his mind, he could feel the anguish and pained anger of the Elder Wand through their bond, forged through an ownership and a claim that was actually mutually made. Harry hadn't just owned the Elder Wand…or the Resurrection Stone or his Cloak, both of which were also sending echoes of outrage through and because of the almost severed bonds to him, ones he'd unknowingly made.

What outlasted and outshouted the fury of all three, was the stronger reverberations of grief and sorrow, and mostly distress.

No, he hadn't just owned the Deathly Hallows that screamed these emotions to him.  _They_  also owned him.

There were two conditions that had to be met to have such mutual bonds and to have reached this point. One, this person had to have touched and owned all of the Deathly Hallows once, even if not at the same time. Two, they had to accept and approve of the owner.

Harry had owned all three at once and is the only person known to have done so, with Dumbledore having owned each one at different times. He was one of two people (the other being Dumbledore) to have actually held all three Deathly Hallows. The two of them were also the only ones to have physically had two of the Hallows together at one time. That qualified both of them for the first requirement, though only Harry had  _mastered_  each one of them.

The second requirement, Dumbledore couldn't fulfill. He had not mastered all three, only having mastered the Elder Wand, and he had not owned all three at once. Nor had the Hallows approved of him as their true owner.

Because Harry had mastered and owned all three, especially at once, and personally approving of him through their own judgment of him, fulfilled the second requirement. The Hallows judged Harry's very self and had seen that he owned and mastered them, earning him their loyalty. Which led to why Harry had collapsed. The unknown and unexpected rule of the Deathly Hallows, one that had never before been needed to be upheld.

Do not ever deny the bonds or reject the claims created to and from the Deathly Hallows.

Harry unknowingly had done so, which had created a backlash which had immediately sent him into a magical coma. And in the room reserved especially for him in St. Mungo's, a bright glow surrounded him and his body disappeared. A second after his disappearance, everything began to unravel and disappear along with him, as time was erased and began to reset.

When Harry next appeared, it was July 30th, 1980; not just his birthday, but the very day he was born. Only this time…Harry Potter was a girl.

" _It's best this way…"_

" _How so?"_

" _He preferred men. He never denied it or even knew about it until near the end, but he did. He just wouldn't let himself acknowledge it, unfortunately unconsciously set in the same trappings his **family**  had instilled in his life –a want of normality. And after so much conflict in his life, he didn't want to bring about more just because he liked men. He couldn't also bring himself to destroy the girl and her mother, and the rest of the red-haired family's, hopes, even though he knew he could not love the girl as he previously had."_

" _Even then, he knew…didn't he?"_

" _Yes, but it was much easier to love Ginny Weasley than to acknowledge the truth, so when he finally decided to seriously pursue a relationship aside from the Asian girl, he subconsciously chose the easier path."_

" _And now?"_

" _It will be easier on him this way. We are trying to give him a second chance that the Hallows had adamantly wished for and beseeched of me. After everything he has gone through and sacrificed, why should he need to fight to gain happiness? It is unfair; he would do it too, now that most of the restraints of before have been shed. If he is to be gay, then he is to be gay. But I don't want to make him sacrifice and fight anymore, so as a gift from me, I will do this to try to make any part of his new life easier."_

_The two beings ceased their talk and gazed upon the newborn, finally birthed and being held in the arms of her mother. Her…_

"Henrietta Jamie Potter," Lily Potter whispered. She smiled wearily at her husband, who was staring in awe at the little one in her arms. "And that way you can keep your 'Harry' in there."

James smirked at her. "Aw, come on, Lily. That's me great-grand dad's name. No fussin'."

They shared a quiet laugh before turning back to the little angel in front of them, who gazed back with bright emerald eyes. It would be one of the few times they could share together in happiness.

The beings that spoke before continued their quiet watch over the family, until it was the fateful Hallow's Eve and the handsome but corrupted man burst through the cottage and killed first the man and then went on to see the mother and her babe. They watched and did nothing, having already done too much to change things themselves. They only had one more thing to do to help the changes before they would reach the limit their help could expend.

But it was still a tragedy to let the parents die, when they had the power to do something. But it must be done, so they let the events passed as they had originally. And when Harry did his part in defeating Voldemort and reflecting the curse, they waited until first the godfather and then Hagrid appeared, taking Harry to his final destination in the mortals' minds. As Albus Dumbledore gently placed and left Harry on the doorstep, they waited until the little group had gone before forming physical forms and taking the child.

Primus and Magic glanced one last time at the Muggle home before disappearing, taking Harry with them.

They reappeared in London, right in front of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital for Children. Without another word to another, Magic reluctantly handed Harry to Primus, who held him carefully and went inside, just as reluctantly leaving the little babe in a seat in the waiting room, hiding Dumbledore's letter further into the blanket and another letter magically appearing in his servos and placing it securely by the girl's side. Then he went back to Magic and they looked in one more time before disappearing.

Harry was a quiet baby; therefore no one noticed her there until she became hungry and hesitantly began to cry quietly. But instead of one of the workers hearing her first, a woman came towards the cries, after leaving the children she had come to visit. Her husband trailed after her, scowling but confused.

"Howard, do you hear that? Is that…is that a baby?" and she peered over some chairs onto the one that had the little baby, seeing a beautiful little girl peering back up at her with the greenest pair of eyes she'd ever seen. "Oh, it is!"

"Who would leave a baby here? This is a psychiatric ward," Howard's scowl became more pronounce.

"Dear, you know I want another baby and we've been having problems trying," she looked at him anxiously. "We could adopt this little one. I think someone abandoned the girl here."

Howard hesitated, but she pleaded silently with her husband.

"Alright, Elizabeth," he conceded. "Let's see if they can do it here."

And that night, Harry Potter became Harry Gould.

"She's so precious," Elizabeth murmured. "At least the person who left her here left her information and what had happened to her parents. Poor girl. Parents murdered. No matter. You'll be loved and taken cared of in your new home. Dylan will just love you."

But Howard was busy reading the second letter he had found, eyes furrowing in first disbelief then in speculation. A witch in the family…that would certainly be useful…

"Elizabeth, I have something to tell you," he hailed his wife, holding the letter tightly.

Back at home, they had just finished leaving a message to be given to their son, informing him of the newest addition to their family. Curiously, Dylan Gould, future heir to the family's fortune and business, wondered about this little sister he was going to have. He had never thought about having another sibling, though he didn't quite care about it much either way. He supposed he should be excited and get a room ready for her. At least it'll relieve him of his boredom.

"Lorie! Let's design a room for my new sister!" he called out, jumping off his chair and looking for his personal maid.

When his parents finally arrived with his new sister, he was practically vibrating with impatience to see her and for them to see and appreciate his hard work going into making his sister's room. But as he laid eyes on her at last, for some reason his breath caught and he stared, crystal blue eyes widening.

"Dylan, this is your new sister, Henrietta Jamie Gould," Elizabeth murmured fondly, holding out the babe for the 6 year old to admire more closely.

Dylan took a shaky step closer and gazed at her in wonderment, one of his small hands reaching hesitantly to touch her soft face. Emerald eyes opened and looked back at him, making him suck in a breath harshly.

It was then he swore that he would protect and love his sister forever, no matter what, and that no one would ever feel more strongly or do more than him for her.

As the weeks passed, with his new sister settling in and everyone getting used to having her around, Dylan got started on a personal project that was very important to himself. He worked diligently on this project for as long as it took, until finally he finished.

Dylan was not hailed as a prodigy or intelligent for his age for nothing.

The beautifully carved pendant was hung on a simple black string. Engraved in the middle was an elaborate rose, with the Gould family motto underneath it.

He presented it to Henrietta at the end of her month there, watching as she accepted with an eerily shrewd look.

Started 12/26/11 –Completed 12/26/11


	2. The First Milestones

Years passed. Life as a Gould was drastically different than it had been in the Dursley household. For one, Harry Potter had slaved away since she'd been able to work. Here, Harry Gould was not just the princess of the estate, but the beloved heiress that was spoiled and loved.

But she was still so kind and humble, baffling and yet pleasing many people. If she were stuck up, they could just imagine the horror they would all have been subjected to. However, as she wasn't, she was actually very calm and patient and hardly a thing attracted her ire or ruffled her in any way.

Her brother was much the same way (although truthfully, he could be a real hothead –between the two of them, they were like ice and fire). Together, the two of them were such good children that many people praised Elizabeth and Howard for raising such perfect children.

The truth was, they had nothing to do with it.

Dylan and Harry raised themselves, and if there was any raising being done then it was Dylan raising Harry. Elizabeth loved her children, but she loved showing them off more. And more often than not, the woman was always off in her own world. Howard, likewise, was absent from their life and preferred to work than to raise two kids. He put pressure on Dylan as his heir, though he had a soft spot for his daughter and tended to spoil her, even though he had always been against indulging in general and indulging his children to becoming spoiled brats. As Harry was anything but spoiled, he'd always unconsciously dismissed that rule.

Still, he too, more subtly than he did his son, put pressure on her to be an elegant lady and to always be well-mannered and graceful. He wouldn't tolerate either of his children embarrassing him or the family name.

So at ten and sixteen respectively, Harry and Dylan were left to practice their violins themselves, as usual either left to their own devices or that it was up to them to upkeep their lessons and their practices.

"Like this, Harry. Your fingers are at the wrong spots," he spoke softly to his sister, adjusting them for her. "Still, you're getting really good. You'll be better than me in no time."

A little ways away, Elizabeth was having tea with a friend, watching the two playing the instrument.

"I'm jealous, Elizabeth. One child is a prodigy and the other is turning out to be a genius," her friend shook her head. "Must be genetics. Two children one after the other?"

Elizabeth laughed lightly. "Or we're good parents, Yvonne."

"Yes…He's quite good with her," Yvonne changed the subject, watching the Gould siblings a little more closely with curious eyes. "Very attentive. If I didn't know any better, I'd swear Dylan was in love with her. They do look good together."

Elizabeth gave a strained smile, feeling uneasy about the observation for some reason. "True, unfortunately they're siblings then, right?"

Later, Elizabeth approached her son, watching him carefully cut the edges of the sandwiches he'd made for himself and his sister. She cleared her throat to get his attention.

"Dylan, I would like to talk to you for a moment."

Her teenage son looked at her curiously and she decided on her words first before she spoke.

"I know how much you care and love your sister, darling, but perhaps you shouldn't be so coddling or…overprotective of her. She's growing up fast, Dylan, and you can't be there for her always to hold her hand. Mind you, how you're always fussing over her, you'll suffocate her soon enough and you know she'll be rebellious and resent it."

"But she's my little sister," he said softly. "Why can't I spoil her?"

"Leave all the pampering and spoiling to your father and I, Dylan. It's  _our_  job to baby Henrietta."

Dylan was still looking at her in confusion, so she just shook her head.

"Never mind, darling. Forget I said anything," Elizabeth gave her son an indulgent smile before moving to check on the order of hors d'oeuvres she had planned for the next cocktail party they were hosting.

After all, Harry was still young and Dylan was much too troubled with his studies and with becoming integrated with the family business to really be thinking of regular adolescent troubles. Even if they weren't true siblings, she and Howard had  _raised_  the two to be brother and sister. There was no need for her to worry about such things.

Dylan watched his mother walk away with a wary eye before shrugging it off and grabbing the plateful of sandwiches and two glasses of pop they were going to indulge in for once. Finding his sister humming as she worked on a new painting, he set aside their food and drink to examine her new work.

"…What is it?"

"I call it…'Splashes of Color'," she declared.

"But that's all what it is. Just a bunch of different colors splashed all over the canvas."

"Exactly. I was bored so I decided I was going to just randomly splash paint around and make a painting like a regular kid. No matter what I paint, they'll call it a masterpiece anyway," she shrugged.

Dylan barked out a laugh and ruffled her hair fondly.

"Fine, go crazy about it. I brought us something to eat."

Afterwards, he took her to wash her hands and then sat her in front of her vanity to brush her hair. She amusedly let him, chatting about what her tutors were teaching her lately and that he should be around more often when she learned. He reminded her that he had his own tutors he had to deal with.

"We're a little bit isolated, aren't we?" he mused out loud. "We live here in our manor, out in the country, and know only our tutors, our parents, and guests of our parents. Even the parties hosted here are only old people."

Harry wrinkled her nose at the mention of all the old people they always had to deal with.

"Who cares? Dylan, Dylan! I learned about kisses today! I asked Mrs. Pewter about them and she started saying all this gushy stuff about princesses and princes…but whatever. She says normal people in this day and age kiss because they love each other. I love you, Dylan! Can you give me kisses?" she widened her eyes and pouted slightly at him.

He chuckled and patted her head. "Of course, Harry." He leaned down and gave her a slight peck, not expecting her to suddenly press closer. Just as he broke it off in surprise, there was a loud familiar engine sound outside and Harry squealed, clapping her hands.

"STARSCREAM!"

She leapt up and ran out the door and Dylan shook his head with a smile, following after her more slowly. The F-15 jet transformed and Harry practically threw herself at the mech, unheeding of sharp angles and spikes on the outside, with Starscream catching her neatly in his servos.

"So the little princess is all grown up," Starscream mocked, though an undercurrent of fondness was clear in his voice. "It's been awhile, sparkling."

Starscream had met her when they first received her into the family, curiously examining the human baby. Every year since, he'd visited at least once. For the past two years, though, he'd been noticeably absent.

"Starscream, I made a car go flying yesterday! Just like you!" Harry excitedly told him.

The mech looked at the overlooking teen. Dylan shook his head.

"You mean you managed to animate one of your toys finally?" Starscream asked intriguingly, always wondering about these peculiar powers this little girl had that no one could explain. Though the parents had always seemed shifty when he inquired…

"Nuh uh. I made Daddy's car go vroom! through the sky before they made me put it back," at this she pouted.

"That's certainly informative," the former scientist murmured. He knew, from universal science, anything that required power took in the weight and size –and a full-size car against this little midget would mean she had some serious "firepower" going on.

"Do you have business with Father today?" Dylan quietly asked.

"Hm? A bit. I just have to send a databurst to Soundwave. He wants an updated picture of the little one here and of both of you. Menace, that mech is, but he's a softie when it comes to you two. He has a bit of a soft spot for the both of you," Starscream said absentmindedly, mind split between that and still on Harry's odd powers.

While Starscream went to discuss something with their father, Harry spotted an odd box on their front step. Cautiously, she approached it. It was an elegant wooden box, thin and long, closed tightly and securely, not revealing what it held inside. Curiosity outweighed her caution and she picked up the box and opened it.

A purple silk ribbon wrapped around a long stick carved in the design of elderberries in clusters running its length. It was a dark wood, probably elder wood, and was fifteen inches long.

"What do you have there?" Dylan called out, coming closer. He narrowed his eyes suspiciously at it, though he was inwardly confused.

"…Why do you have a stick?"

It was a nice stick, but still a stick.

When they showed their parents, Elizabeth and Howard looked at each other before they sat them down and began explaining what it was and what Harry was, assuming the wand appearing was some sort of magical tradition.

"Am I a wizard too?" Dylan inquired, eyes lighting up.

"No," Howard said firmly, and though his father didn't elaborate the answer had been very sure, so he didn't ask further. It didn't bother him too much and he would continue to be supportive of his sister no matter what.

"How do I learn magic?" Harry asked, still trying to process everything she'd just learned.

"You should be receiving a letter soon from a magic school. When you get it, then we can learn further what we can do," Howard frowned.

"Of course, Father," Harry lowered her head demurely.

"I think I shall stick around a little longer and see what this whole 'magic' thing is about," Starscream's voice sounded suddenly, interrupting the family from the doorway of the study.

They all looked there quickly, seeing the mech's holoform watching them with dark eyes, though curiosity was evident.

"Yes, you are very welcome to, Lord Starscream," Howard answered nervously.

Harry was too busy thinking about what this meant for her and the future to be worrying or noticing anything else. That's why, when her parents retreated to the parlor to discuss this event, and Dylan was forced to separate from her to focus solely on his homework, she wandered around the house barefoot. The soft carpet rubbed against her feet pleasantly and she stopped every once in a while to dig in her feet, just to enjoy the feel.

"You know, if something's bothering you, I don't mind being a stand in for your brother," Starscream's amused voice reached her and she saw him leaning against the window near the kitchens.

"Can we fly?" she asked quietly, holding her arms up.

Starscream came over and picked up the small 10 year old, holding her tightly in his arms as he went outside. Finding his real body, he had it transform into its jet form and he put her inside the cockpit before dissolving his holoform. Then they were moving into the air soon enough.

"Speak, little rose," he spoke through his intercom speaker.

She hunched over in his seat, wiggling her feet in comfort as she frowned to herself.

"I don't know how to say it. I haven't even told Dylan this and you know I tell him everything," she muttered.

"You should tell him later on," he advised. "You two are always close and share everything. And you two never keep secrets from each other."

"Yeah, I guess I will. Anyways…you know how they were talking about magic earlier? It's weird. It's like I can…feel it. I've always been able to feel it. It's sort of…alive in me. I can  _feel_  this sort of energy humming inside of me and it makes me feel safe and happy, although sometimes it feels like there's two separate energies. Do you…do you understand what I mean?" she asked hesitantly.

"Yes, a bit. It's like the AllSpark and its energy," Starscream reflected on, though he had to wonder what it meant for her. And this about two energies…

"Does this make me…like weird?" Harry curled in on herself a little more.

Starscream huffed through his vents. "Don't be silly. It makes you special and powerful though. Maybe you can finish off Megatron for me and I can serve you instead. That would be so much better."

She giggled and patted his console in consolation.

Later, when he dropped her off so he could go for a faster fly than her little human body could handle, she went to her room to try to go to bed. She was successful, only for herself to wake up at midnight. Strangely, she wasn't all that awake. Her emerald eyes were glazed and dilated, and her face looked like it was in a trance.

Getting up from her bed, she softly traversed from her room to her father's study, retrieving a piece of paper and a pen and starting to write.

_Dear Madame Bones,_

_I hope that your investigation is proving more fruitful this year. I'd hoped that after three years, something might be done to prove Sirius Black is innocent, or at least finally given a fair trial. Seeing your latest letter tells me disappointing news, I am anxious as to what more we can do. Perhaps I can suggest checking families about pet rats? Please, if there is anything, I ask you to try anything at this point._

_Sincerely,_

_Harry Potter_

She finished the letter with a flourish and put it in a regular envelope. With a blink, she held it in both of her hands and it glowed briefly in gold before disappearing. And then she walked off and went to her room, falling asleep as if nothing had happened.

When she woke up the next morning, she had no recollection of the night before and went on as usual. At breakfast, with Dylan teasingly feeding her and earning her pouts more often than not, an owl tapped at the window with its beak. They stared strangely at it before Dylan went over and let it in, and it swooped into the room and landed near Harry, holding out its leg where a letter was conspicuously tied. Shrugging at her brother, she untied it and stared at the seal on the back of it, where a lion, raven, snake, and a badger surrounded an ornate H.

Breaking the seal, she opened it to read the letter, eyes blinking as her eyebrows raised higher.

"What is it?" Dylan asked normally, going back to eating his cereal.

"My Hogwarts letter," she said nonchalantly. "Apparently I need some robes, some spellbooks, and the lot."

"Indeed?" he arched an eyebrow.

Indeed.

And the two siblings went back to their breakfast, putting aside the letter and occasionally feeding the bird some bacon.

Afterwards, they showed their father the letter as Harry carried the owl with her. It looked quite comfortable and content to be carried and pampered.

"Well, Henrietta, what would you like to do in this regard?" her father focused in on her.

Harry didn't falter, keeping a straight face as she thought about it. A flash of a red and gold, and a whisper of  _Gryffindor_  went into her mind. Her eyes glazed over momentarily and suddenly she had her answer.

"No," she answered softly. "I don't think I would like to go."

Howard blinked and Dylan looked at her incredulously.

"But don't you want to learn magic?" he furrowed his eyebrows.

Dylan nudged her shoulder gently, inwardly confused at her answer as well.

"Yes, I do," she said decisively. "But I think I would prefer to engage a tutor," she declared.

Howard thought on it, before nodding slowly. "Yes…that is for the best. I suppose I shall have to write a letter declining their offer and asking either for a list of tutors or how to set up an advert in that world searching for one."

"Thank you, Father," she curtsied.

Dylan held out his arm and she hooked her own around it, allowing him to escort her out.

* * *

"Boring," Harry grouched. "Doesn't look too bright. Meh, looks like a pedophile –"

"Henrietta!"

"And she looks like she's a gold digger," she finished.

Howard sighed in aggravation, rubbing his hand against his face roughly.

"Don't slouch," he snapped at her. "And watch your comments. Be mindful of your manners. You are a  _lady_."

"Father," she deadpanned. "The choices all suck and you know it."

He sighed in exasperation, but silently agreed. "I wish this Professor Dumbledore hadn't been  _this_  helpful."

Harry hummed, searching through a stack before stopping at one. Her tiny hand unconsciously traced over the moving picture in fondness before she blinked and was brought out of it.

' _Moony'_  was whispered in her head.

"Here," she shoved the folder into her father's face, who uncharacteristically grumbled and pushed it away so he could actually see it.

"He looks rather shabby," he said disapprovingly, studying the picture.

"Looks can be deceiving," she said solemnly, though it could be rather hypocritical, considering her earlier comments.

"Well, his credentials are good," Howard muttered.

And so, they reached out and soon enough, Remus J. Lupin was hired to teach her magic from then on.

On the first lesson, he was in awe of the muggle mansion and gorgeous outside. There were just some things magical estates couldn't mimic naturally…

He was immediately invited in, treated kindly by the servants, and led to the room where his newest student sat. He could hear her chatting excitedly to someone about the summer horse-riding lessons that she was getting to continue from the year before this year. Knocking, he waited for a confirmation before heading in and nearly had to backtrack.

His heart stopped and then started to ache as he gazed upon a spitting image, or what he thought would be what Harry Potter would look like if he could see her now.

"Hello, Miss Gould. I'm here to teach you," he greeted kindly, hiding the sadness in his voice.

She smiled widely at him. "Hello, Mr. Lupin! Call me Harry!"

He inwardly flinched.

"This is my brother Dylan. Can he stay and watch?" she asked innocently.

"I don't see why he can't," Remus smiled gently. He could see the brother smiling back as well, though he seemed more wary. Though it seemed it had more to do with being protective over his sister, the way he could see Dylan leaning just the slightest closer to her, hands ready on her chair. "Still, won't it bother you watching when you won't be learning as well, Mr. Gould? Not to be offensive or anything," he quickly added.

Dylan waved it off. "Not offended, and it's just Dylan. Mr. Gould is our Father. And it won't bother me at all. I support my sister full-heartedly."

"I wish there were more siblings like you then, Dylan. I once knew two sisters," Remus recalled sadly. "One of the sisters was very jealous and never got over it. It's very sad…"

"Well, that won't be me," Dylan said stubbornly. "I love my sister and I always will."

"Glad to hear that. Now…why don't we start with history and get the boring stuff out of the way?" he winked at the siblings.

Meanwhile, at Hogwarts, an old man sat on his chair contemplating this new year. Soon, Hogwarts would be filled again, and new students would be coming to enjoy the school. And this year… this would be the year Harry Potter would finally return to the Wizarding World and enter Hogwarts.

The Philosopher's Stone was set and ready, and he was continuously thinking and revising his trap for the Dark Lord this year.

Agitatedly, though, his hand ran along the length of his wand. It wasn't the wand he'd been using for so long these years. No, it was his older wand, his original wand he had before it.

For some reason, the Elder Wand had disappeared from his grasp and was somewhere out in the world again.

Started 2/1/12 –Completed 2/2/12


	3. The Crown Jewel

The most common image of the Gould family's two heirs are of crowns and jewels. Henrietta Jamie Gould, known to her parents as truthfully Henrietta Jamie  _Potter_ , was the jewel in the crown. Their eldest, Dylan Gould, known to be Harry's figurative and literal support and also loyal protector, would fittingly be the crown.

_The jewel in the crown._

They were two pieces to showcase the family, two pieces that fit together perfectly. And in mirroring the metaphor, in real life the two of them had always been a matching set.

It was what made the separation of the two harder to bear. For, after a year of Harry starting her magical education, Dylan was sent off to an all boys' boarding school to get a more real world education and feel for the world outside of their home. And after his quick year there, he would go on to fast track college at Dartmouth and then spend time being groomed to take over the family estate and business.

And now, after five years of being away and only having emails as a contact to his sister, Dylan was finally coming home. And for him, he'd never cared too much for the "crown jewel" analogy.

He'd always pictured his sister as something like a rose (if anything, he was the rose bush hiding the pretty little rose from the world). A rose, in particular, had been something he'd associated with Harry from the day she'd been introduced into his life. A rose was elegant and beautiful, slim and graceful in its arch, but its thorns hinted that it could be dangerous and can hurt you if you weren't careful.

It fit perfect for Harry.

It was why he'd carved a wooden rose necklace for her when she was a baby, and a necklace she'd worn almost religiously every day since. He was pretty sure it was worn out by now, but he had gotten something made to replace it and was planning to give it to her on his return –the day of her sixteenth birthday and when the family was hosting a sweet sixteen ball.

He was looking forward to it, having missed her like hell. Her absence from him was like a horrible ache inside he couldn't explain.

"Dylan, you're back," someone said in surprise. "Harry will be most pleased."

Entering the foyer, where Dylan sat patiently for his mother to return from her hurried leave, he was glad and curious to see Remus Lupin smiling genially at him from the entrance. The man still looked worn and tired, but he looked better than when he'd first been hired. He had better clothes on and his appearance was more stream-lined and professional, the shabbiness of before gone. There were some more gray hairs, but it seemed that a lasting job and better care of himself made sure the gray hairs didn't multiply rapidly in the years.

"I hope she will be. It's good to see you here and looking fit," Dylan smiled back.

Remus laughed, grinning lopsidedly. "Well, I have your family to thank for that. It's really great to be able to not worry about losing a job because of my condition."

Dylan nodded, understanding that. They'd learned early on about Remus being a werewolf, with Harry being the one to put it together. At first, Howard and Elizabeth had been wary about keeping him on, but Harry quickly and staunchly defended keeping him with them. And when it showed that he was an irreplaceable and unmatched tutor, and also that he was harmless to the family outside of the time of the full moon, Remus was highly approved and praised by all of them.

A well-paying job he could keep, as well as finally being regularly paid and fed and also a place to stay without fear of eviction, all came a long way to helping a man being nice and healthy.

"Is Harry around? I wanted to surprise her about my return, but if she's not I might as well go around for a drive until her ball tonight."

Remus frowned, thinking about where she could be.

"I'm pretty sure she's gone horseback riding and won't be back until it's time for the ball. You could ask your mother, though she seemed to have gone out in a hurry," Remus added in confusion.

Dylan was also confused, but decided that his mother could wait. Before he could say something, there was a loud crack and a weird-looking creature appeared next to Remus, boxes floating behind it. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, trying to see if they were mistaken. No, the scene had not changed…

"Lupin, sir! Dobby came with presents for Mistress Harry! Her gifts from her Wheezy, Hermy, and Nev are here. Madame Bonesy and Mistress' Siri will bring theirs when they come later," the thing told Remus enthusiastically.

"What in the…" he muttered.

Remus noticed. "Ah, Dylan –this is Dobby the House-elf. Dobby, this is Dylan, Harry's older brother."

Dobby beamed up at him happily. "Master Dylan! It is an honor! Mistress Harry talks many a time of you and always very lovingly!"

Dylan just gave an awkward smile and nodded at the creature, deciding he would eventually be caught up anyways.

"I'm going to take a shower and get ready for tonight, okay? I'll see you later, Remus," Dylan nodded at the man before he went off, deciding the drive could wait a little bit.

Later, he was restlessly walking around, waiting for the ball to start, when his mother found him and rushed him to the ballroom.

"I need you to entertain some of Henrietta's guests. The rest is fine, but her…other friends. You know what I mean," she looked at him meaningfully.

He nodded to show he understood, seeing a strict-looking middle-aged man with a blond younger man close by him. A stern-faced woman stood next to them, as well as a young and well-groomed man with dark hair and blue eyes. Three of them, minus the blond man, were quietly exchanging words.

His mother left him and he approached the group with an easy smile.

"Hello, I'm Dylan. Harry's brother?" he greeted them.

They nodded respectively at him, introducing themselves. He spared a longer look at the dark-haired, blue-eyed man that was the Sirius Black he'd heard so much from his sister about.

"It's nice to finally meet you," the young blond man, Barty Crouch Jr., spoke quietly.

"To yourself as well. Harry speaks well of all of you. It makes me glad to know she has many friends," Dylan still wanted to know about how Harry had come to know all of them. She'd always been vague about it in her emails…

He quietly chatted with the group, as the ball slowly started and some formal ballroom dancing began. And then came the time when his sister was supposed to come down the grand staircase, the music quieting and the lights dimming except for the ones focused on the staircase.

And there she was.

An elegant emerald dress that highlighted her beautiful eyes, dark hair in curls piled on top of her head, and the bare minimum of makeup with a more natural look favored. Her pale skin was like marble in the lighting and her reddened lips were curved in a delighted smile as she looked around the room, avoiding making it obvious by not moving her head to do so.

Dylan swallowed heavily, feeling his throat tightening up and feeling warm all of a sudden. He bit his lip and had the urge to look away and never look upon his sister ever again.

Harry looked absolutely beautiful.

Of that, he couldn't deny. But there were whispers of thoughts that he knew he shouldn't be thinking, thoughts that had no right being in his head and should never have crossed his mind. He felt shamed and disgusted with himself all at once, and knew that it would've been best if he had fled the room as soon as he laid eyes on his sister.

Years after being gone from her side and this was meant to be a happy reunion; instead he felt like he should've stayed away, especially if he was going to be lusting after his sister like this.

It wasn't long until he was confronted with his sister, who looked even more delighted to see him than she had any of the other guests, proceeding to happily throw herself into his arms. He felt his heart loudly thumping in his chest and couldn't help smiling softly down at Harry.

"Dylan! You're here! I've missed you so much," she told him excitedly, smile bright with happiness.

He squeezed her tighter in his arms before he reluctantly let go. "I've missed you too," he reciprocated.

And then she was insisting on having him escort her around to greet all the other guests and then he had the first and last dance with the birthday girl, feeling like he could've danced with her all night and kept her to himself. He didn't think anyone else would notice his inner turmoil, but five people actually did.

Starscream, in his holoform, was enjoying the human party and had stolen a dance for himself with the little Rose of the Decepticons. Right away, his human optics had zeroed in on his charges, and of the trouble one of them was having with the other. Somehow, he wasn't all that surprised. He could even say he'd been expecting this since the day he first saw the two little ones together, and had this feeling that told him something like this would eventually come to pass.

Howard and Elizabeth also had uneasily predicted such a thing, with her more so. For her, after that tiny little mention from her friend, she couldn't get the idea out of her head. She had obsessively scrutinized every little thing with the two, and had eventually suggested the separation. For him, he had always had this inkling whispering in the back of his head vaguely, but he had never let himself look into it or try to understand just what his mind had been hinting at. Every once in a while, a telltale moment would happen and he would look strangely upon it…but he would just dismiss it, like he did many a times when it came to them.

The last two were a little more surprising.

Sirius Black was freed shortly after Harry turned 11. As he'd found out, his goddaughter had come into contact with Amelia Bones some time at the age of 7, asking about him. According to Amelia, Harry had asked if it was true if he had never gotten a trial and why it was. She'd also had mentioned that "someone" had mentioned to her the possibility that he might be innocent and had asked if that was possible to prove. Amelia had also told him that she had continuously traded letters with Harry since then, with useful information coming from her –information that Sirius knew she couldn't have known, such as Peter Pettigrew "possibly" being an illegal rat animagus.

It was both confusing and enlightening to receive a letter upon his freeing, from his goddaughter, speaking of another time and a different set of circumstances that she was now fighting to change. Of course, he was the only one who knew this and the only one she saw fit to inform. She'd also told him that she was now Harry Gould and that this side of her, the one who knew everything and the one behind this letter, was a person of memories locked up and that if he wanted to see her, then he had to approach Harry  _Gould_ , not Potter.

He'd trickily managed this by approaching the family through Remus, hoping to also reconnect to his friend while using him to meet and befriend his "amnesiac" goddaughter. It was a risky thing, but he'd managed and it had actually worked.

And now he could see his goddaughter's pseudo-brother having conflicting feelings, and he smiled sorrowfully to himself, mentally shaking his head and hoping that truth would eventually win out and that there wouldn't be trouble or lasting damage to come from the lie the Gould family kept.

On the other hand, the most surprising observer was Barty Jr., who looked solemnly at the "siblings". Unlike Sirius, he had no idea Harry was a Potter and not just a Gould. She had written a letter to his father, incidentally about Sirius Black. Apparently she'd read up on the past war and had stumbled onto his case, eventually reaching out to Crouch Sr. and, oddly amusingly, the two traded arguments through letters. Somehow, once Amelia had gotten onto the case and was looking into it, Crouch had gotten pulled into it and wound up helping to correct the mistake he made all those years ago himself.

It was a surprise to him when his father was revealed to be the godfather of James Potter, and part of his hostile animosity and refusal of leniency or rationality towards Sirius was because of that. It was, though the two were still tense and things weren't completely cleared between the two, the main reason why Sirius Black and Crouch Sr. weren't volatile and had gone into understandings and uneasy forgiveness. It didn't make the two best of friends, but they were far from bitter enemies as most people expected.

It was even more odd how he came to be, free of the Imperius and Invisibility Cloak. All he knew, on that front, was that Harry and his father had a serious conversation one day and all of a sudden his father was speaking to him and trying his best through the days to be a better father. It was a…confusing and trying time –and it still was. Sirius and his father were on better terms than he was with him. He still had trouble trying to forgive his father and speak to him, but there were better days than others.

His own talk with Harry had helped with that.

He was silently watching, wondering what all this meant and how it would affect the future. Something told him that there was something bigger in the works, and that there was more to Harry and this odd gathering than any of them could see. At the same time, knowing that, Barty hoped that at least her brother would be there and help to support her through it –and that maybe Harry could at least find some happiness with Dylan in the midst of all these things that seemed to be going on.

* * *

It wasn't that Harry was looking for it especially. She just knew.

Something was different between them.

Or with Dylan. Or her. She didn't know specifically, only that something had changed between her and her brother and it made her upset. He was finally back after five years away, and  _he was avoiding her_. He spoke quickly with her and tried to leave as fast as he could. He was never where she could find him, and his previous haunts of before were absent of him. It felt…empty without her brother around her. Lonely.

It was worse than the five year separation because at least they had some form of communication and he hadn't been deliberately avoiding her.

She fingered the necklace around her neck anxiously, the new gift offering her some hope. Dylan had given it to her at the end of her ball and she cherished the updated rose necklace. The thin silver chain felt almost weightless around her neck, but the noticeable rose charm hanging from it was a comfort. The white-gold rose was curved in a circle, wrapped around an odd black stone, and was beautifully simple and yet lovely that way all the same.

_"I wanted to give this to you," Dylan said, adorably looking embarrassed as he revealed the necklace to her. "I know you wear that wooden necklace I gave you all the time and it's starting to become a little worn. This'll last longer and you can save the other one as a keepsake and keep it from wearing out completely now."_

_She beamed happily at him, eagerly closing her eyes and leaning her head up to bare her neck and let him put the necklace around her. She could feel his, oddly enough, trembling fingers touch against her neck and put the new jewelry around it. Unnoticeably to her, his hands lingered on her a moment longer than they should have, after he was done._

And now it seemed like the necklace was all she had left of her brother. He'd seemingly disappeared on her and was like a wisp of smoke, at most always a glimpse but never still enough for her to keep hold of.

Harry couldn't help crying to herself a bit.

Starscream, her usual stand in for when Dylan was unavailable, was back in battle and who knew when the mech would be back? Amelia, both Barty's, Remus, and Sirius were out of the question for her to talk to, seeing as how Amelia and the Crouch family were more business friends, in the sense that the more personal things like this wasn't something she would talk to them about. Sirius and Remus were strangely very overprotective of her and probably would react unhappily to her problem.

Any messages she could send to her friends would be long in coming, considering they lived in England and she in America. She could always call Hermione, but her bushy-haired friend was less helpful in these things than the adults she knew.

There was always her parents…

Dylan was their son, so they would know him best after her. They could hopefully tell her what was wrong with her brother…

However, before she could go looking for them, she found the one person she'd been looking for all this time. Dylan had surprisingly appeared, almost as if summoned by her thoughts. It wasn't all that far from it either, as he dropped from midair from above right in front of her right then.

Amidst his cursing and stumbling to get up from the floor, Harry blinked in surprise, tears still decorating her eyes.

"Brother?" she murmured.

Startled, Dylan whirled around and saw her, immediate anxiety appearing on his face.

"H-Harry, what on earth…Um, look –I have to go and…get a look at my car right now," he smiled awkwardly at her, turning and trying to flee already.

"Don't you dare!" she screamed, catching his attention enough to make him unconsciously pause in surprise, before she managed to will her legs forward and she tackled her brother the ground, tightening her hold on him and refusing to let go.

Suddenly, Dylan grew still in her arms and she was hesitant enough that she started to loosen her hold so she could sit up and look at him. Just that slight loosening was enough for Dylan, who suddenly grabbed her and flipped their positions, forcing her down as he grabbed her arms and harshly held them down by her head. His hands moved to her wrists, squeezing lightly in warning.

"Don't do that," he snarled, shocking and even scaring her a bit. It was so different from the brother she knew that she was staring at him, jaw lightly dropping. He was glaring at her, though his eyes were regretful and sad at the same time. " _Please, Harry_."

"D-Dylan?"

Why was he…?

He leaned down, burying his face against her neck. She could feel his breath against her skin, goosebumps rising and an unfamiliar feeling in her stomach. And then she felt something wet and firm moving against her neck, letting out a loud gasp as she realized it was  _her brother's tongue_. A short kiss there and then her brother shot away from her, his whole body shuddering while he had a look of disgust on his face.

"Stop clinging to me all the time!" he snapped at her. "It's annoying. We're not kids anymore."

And then he turned on his heel and strode out without a glance back, leaving her behind in shock.

She brought her knees in and wrapped her arms around them, burying her face into them to cry her eyes out.

Started 2/10/12 –Completed 2/14/12


	4. Little Sister

Dumbledore was both mystified and upset at how things were going, and of the mysterious disappearance of Harry Potter. It was almost as if everything that could go wrong for him  _was_  going wrong.

In what was supposed to be Harry's first year at Hogwarts…the girl never showed up. When he went to inquire with the Muggle relatives she was supposed to go to, they had never even come in contact with her or knew what he was talking about. In fact, they didn't even still live in the same place that he had dropped Harry off at.

She had never made it to them for them to raise.

That had made him completely panicked and upset. 'Where was she', 'was she still alive', 'is she okay', and so many other questions rattled him.

He left the Dursleys, a surprisingly struggling family (apparently Vernon Dursley had been demoted under the new Grunnings management and the situation had thankfully gotten them somewhat humble, but not enough for the elders and he suspected those two to be lost causes; their son, on the other hand, had hope), and headed off back to Hogwarts with a heavy heart and many questions.

He'd had to confront Voldemort himself at the end of the year, the Philosopher's Stone was unfortunately but necessarily destroyed, and still the Dark Lord had escaped. He'd donated the Mirror of Erised to the Department of Mysteries, though he was surprised to come to know that not too long after it had been bought by an unknown buyer.

Second and third year were, thankfully, quiet. Aside from Gilderoy Lockhart's unveiling as a fraud, nothing else happened in second year. Third year, while there were minor problems, there was nothing to truly cause him trouble. He had been hoping to bring back Remus Lupin as the Defense Against the Dark Arts Professor, however it seemed that the young man was doing well and was happy and content to stay on in his job as tutor to a Muggleborn heiress, one he regretfully recalled declined to attend Hogwarts and had asked for a way to seek Magical tutors.

Fourth year was when it seemed excitement and troubles were to plague Hogwarts. He'd allowed the Triwizard Tournament to return, hoping that international relations could improve over it. He hadn't anticipated the difficulties that would occur. The tournament went smoothly, though it was not his luck when Crouch Sr. refused the offer of being a judge, even though he was the Head of the International Affairs for the Ministry. He'd gotten his old friend Alastor Moody to be the DADA teacher for the year and Cedric Diggory, a strapping and promising young man, was Hogwarts' Champion.

Things went well until the Third Task.

As was told by Diggory, he'd been transported to a strange graveyard once he'd touched the Triwizard Cup turned Portkey. There, his blood had been used to bring back Voldemort, but luckily he'd had a Portkey on him that allowed him to transport somewhere near Hogsmeade with instructions to stay at The Three Broomsticks and to contact only his parents and keep quiet until "things" that night were resolved.

Dumbledore had wanted to know where the Portkey and the instructions had come from, but the only thing Diggory could tell him was that the Portkey had been sent to him near the end of the summer and that once he'd gotten to Hogsmeade, the Portkey had glowed once before a small slip of parchment had fallen into his hands with the instructions. He'd used legilimency to make sure and it checked out, but he was still suspicious. Although, it may be just his usual paranoid and controlling self.

He'd spent the next year making plans to lure the Dark Lord once again. He had been given information that Voldemort was looking into the full contents of the prophecy and was interested in maybe acquiring it from the Department of Mysteries' Prophecy Room. He'd had the orb on the watch. He'd gotten cooperation from the Ministry. He'd checked on it himself every weekend. Most of all, he'd upped the search for Harry Potter amongst his Order and had hopes of her getting the orb before Voldemort.

It was with the most grateful feeling he had that the Ministry wasn't working against him and was in fact helping him.

When Diggory had claimed Voldemort was back, Cornelius Fudge and his Ministry had all but claimed the boy delusional. Amos Diggory, highly respected in the Ministry himself, was outraged and refused to back down from this slight. An unexpected and very powerful support came in the form of Crouch Sr., who'd helped to add more credit to the Diggorys' claims.

The most added bonus that he hadn't known, surprisingly, was that there had already been inquiries into Fudge and his loyal followers, most commonly about his competence and capability as Minister. In fact, this unknown smear campaign against Fudge, and for some reason a Dolores Umbridge, had been going on for years and had already been sowing doubts about Fudge in the minds of people. The Daily Prophet, Amelia Bones, and others under her had in combination put down Fudge.

Where had he been with all of this going on?

It made him wary and disturbed to know he had been out of the loop in this, and that he had had no idea of any of this going on.

He was even more aghast to know, at the end of the year, the prophecy orb hadn't been there for several years. Since the missing Harry's should have been second year in fact. It sounded alarm bells in his head and made his anxiety heighten.

However, it made one thing clear to him.

Harry Potter was alive and well, and had to have been the one to retrieve the prophecy orb (and left a very convincing fake behind) –no one else could have gotten it, aside from Voldemort (and he had had obviously been looking to get it just now).

It was now her "should have been" sixth year. If she had been here, after the events of last year and of Voldemort's return, he would have been helping to prepare her and arm her with the knowledge she needed. The vials of memories were waiting for her to see them and learn the truth behind Voldemort. Horace Slughorn he was grateful to have had taken over Severus Snape's post, ever since the man had suddenly departed without so much as a by your leave years ago, but Horace still refused to give him the one memory he dearly needed to know just how many Horcruxes Voldemort had made –and he was very sure that that most evil magic was behind the Dark Lord's seeming immortality.

He had gone searching for at least one he knew of, located in the Gaunt Shack, but nothing was there now except a semi-melted golden band with the adornment already gone. The Gaunt ring Voldemort prized and had once worn was no longer whole and the stone itself missing.

That worried him. He also knew that the Founder heirlooms were potential marks, but Gryffindor's Sword was safe behind him. That left Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff. He knew Ravenclaw's would be a certain diadem, but that had been long gone and no one knew where it was. It was possible Voldemort had found it in his youth or of the times he came to ask for the DADA post, but he didn't know for certain. What was more likely was that Hufflepuff's was a cherished cup, and he was almost certain it was one of the Horcruxes –Hepzibah Smith, the owner, had been found murdered and he'd looked into where her precious Hufflepuff Cup could be after her death. It was missing.

There were also certain events that caused him alarm. Several years ago, just before Harry was to be a first year, as he'd previously remembered, Severus had suddenly declared his retirement from Hogwarts and had set off. Dumbledore was unable to locate him after.

There was also the baffling and surprising early release and announcement of innocence for Sirius Black. He was happy and relieved for the man, especially at finding out he was innocent, but in recent times Sirius was undeniably one of his biggest blocks and critics out in the world, also refusing to rejoin the Order. He tried to entice him back with the promise of finding out where Harry was, but Sirius merely looked at him in disdain and again refused.

" _You don't know where she is at all," Sirius stated neutrally, looking at him with dark eyes. "I'm better off searching for her on my own."_

Dumbledore sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose hard. He was truly getting too old for this. Glancing at his desk, he saw a piece of parchment sticking out from under one of his books he'd been reading as research on Horcruxes. Taking it, he read it and nearly groaned out loud.

There was a request for a removal of one Draco Malfoy from the school from his mother.

* * *

"Geez, Dylan, lay off the booze," Troy Barton snickered, watching the Gould heir guzzling down a shot of tequila without another thought.

Dylan glared mildly at him, cradling his head in his hand to stave off the headache he could feel coming on.

"Come on! You're 22! Let's go live it up somewhere, eh?"

"I should've dumped you back at college and forgot your existence," Dylan mumbled.

"But I'm your best friend," Troy pouted.

"Fuck you. My head hurts."

Undeterred, Troy dragged Dylan from his seat and led him out the bar, determined to find a particular brand of entertainment that night. Dylan didn't care or was sober enough to put up a fight. That being said, reaching a red light district, he blearily blinked rapidly around him.

"…I didn't think these places actually existed," Dylan stumbled as he kept trying to look around.

Troy rolled his eyes. "You've got to get laid. Seriously."

And when they reached a whore house, Troy enthusiastically left him behind and went after a girl, and he stood around in a daze for a moment.

"Hey there, sweetie, looking for a particular girl?" one woman approached him, smiling coyly as she brought his attention to the various girls waiting around.

He was about to rebuff her and say a refusal, when his eyes caught a particular girl and he hesitated. Then he pointed her out and slipped the woman some cash, waiting as she went over to the girl and whispered something into the girl's ear. And then the girl was coming towards him, ready to lead him to a room upstairs.

She wasn't  _her_ , but she looked close enough and it was the best he could do and would ever allow himself. It was all enough for him to be able to pretend…

But as he was pounding away into her, all he wanted was another drink and to go back into a mindless haze. He made the mistake of looking down and he noted her eyes weren't the emerald gems he treasured, but a muddy brown that he wanted to sneer at.

He finished up, thanked the girl, and left the building behind, choosing to leave his best friend and race his car haphazardly back home. He was of the mind to drop onto his bed and pass out, when he suddenly realized he was passing his sister's door right at that moment.

His muddled head was full of incoherent thoughts that made no sense to him, until one floated to the forefront of his brain and was as clear as day.

' _I want to see Harry.'_

He missed her. He had wanted to avoid her so much in the beginning, and now she had taken it upon herself to avoiding him instead. The tables were turned and he found himself longing to be near her more than ever. And he had been so  _mean_  to her last time…he's not supposed to be mean to his little sister, he's supposed to protect and love her above all else…

Before he knew it, his hand was on the doorknob and turning it, pushing the door open without another thought. He walked in and quietly closed the door behind him, searching out a chair and bringing it beside her bed so he could gaze and admire her in peace.

Her hair was beautifully disheveled around her head, flowing tendrils against her pillow. Her face was peaceful, though there was a small frown on her pouty lips. The green eyes unique to her were hidden from sight behind her eyelids and a small part of him wanted to wake her, damn the consequences, just to see them. The thin nightdress left little to imagination, even if it was cut innocently, and he hesitantly reached out and brushed his hands against the fabric. He shivered at the silk and when his touch pressed against her body accidentally.

Just Harry innocently sleeping was much more arousing and beautiful to him than the experience with the whore just hours ago.

Knowing he was still drunk, he tenderly bent over and fondly brushed his hand against her hair rhythmically. Her eyes fluttered opened minutes later after the continued petting, eyes widening at seeing Dylan poised over her in the dark of her room, looking completely out of it.

"D-Dylan?"

"Shh," he murmured, still petting her hair. He clambered onto her bed, moving to hover over her. His hand moved from petting her hair to petting her face, watching as she lay still and watched him back with eyes that were both wary and afraid, and yet also curious.

In his mind, whatever was sober and sane, pleaded for that curiosity to fade so that he wouldn't have the excuse he needed to ravish his sister.

But it didn't and his hand stopped petting her face and moved farther down, sliding passed the bare skin of her shoulder and then trembling on top of the curve of her modest breast. His hand molded to her shape and then squeezed, drawing an audible gulp from Harry, wide eyes staring back at him and waiting to see what else he would do.

His petting continued there and then his hand traveled further down, toying with the hem of her nightdress and then slipping underneath. His own breath hitched at his actions, hardly able to believe he was doing this. He stopped when his fingers touched upon the edge of her panties and a shudder ran through his body. He looked hesitantly, seeing Harry still watching him. And then she shyly thrust up against him and he drew back sharply, his turn to stare at her wide-eyed.

"Brother," she softly hailed and then he'd practically threw himself towards her and captured her lips with his, reminding him of a time when he'd taken his sister's first kiss, only it was much more innocent then.

He quickly parted her lips with his tongue, reveling in the taste of the blueberry pie still lingering in her mouth. Her tongue hesitantly touched his and then he forcefully pushed against it, making her submit before he gentled his assault and started to guide her into it instead. He moved further down and covered her body with his own, still kissing her as he took hold of her head with both of his hands, encasing silky strands of her hair around his fingers and clutching onto her head.

He slowly started to grind down into her, with her lifting up her legs to wrap around his waist, when he felt himself hardened and then pressing up against her.

Dylan seemed to sober up from the evidence of exactly what he was doing, pushing himself away from her and rushing out the room, leaving Harry frustrated, confused, and not knowing what to do. He hadn't moved far from her, leaning angrily against her door. Turning around, he leaned his forehead against the wood as he tried to regain his bearings. With his eyes closed, he couldn't help remembering the feel of her against him and the images of what had just transpired were burned into his mind.

Her soft lips and her shy tongue…

He groaned quietly to himself, unconsciously thrusting gently into the door. He panted slightly, remembering Harry laid out against her bed, looking up at him. He knew that she was on the other side of the door, just within reach and possibly even hearing him now –practically masturbating against her door and fantasizing about her. He bit his lip, tears of shame and disgust escaping his eyes, but he couldn't bring himself to stop. Finally, he came quietly, hands clenched as he exploded in his pants. For a moment, he stayed leaning against the door, breathing heavily. Then he pushed away and fled to his room.

The next morning found Dylan slouched over the kitchen table in his and Harry's wing. The two of them had always eaten breakfast together there, and even with this trouble, the tradition wasn't one to be ignored. His head was hurting like hell though and his eyes were all achy…

Grouchily, he shoved a spoonful of his favorite cereal into his mouth and glared off into space. A thud near him alerted him to his sister arriving. He glanced to his side to see that she'd placed a strange vial near his bowl, before she retreated to her chair on the other side of the table from across him.

"Anti-hangover potion," she muttered to him and he gratefully gulped it down, ignoring the taste and thinking that vodka tasted worse.

They ate in tensed silence, feeling awkward around the other.

"Dylan," she said suddenly, still not looking at him.

He looked at her and waited, surprised when she moved from her seat and sat on his lap, curling up on it as she wrapped her arms around his neck and determinedly kissed him. Caught off guard, he automatically placed his own arms around her and kissed her back. They stayed like that until the sound of a knock and then the door opening caught their ears, and the two panicked and slightly sprung apart.

Remus entered and his smile faulted, glancing at them in confusion.

Dylan gave a shaky smile and nodded to the girl still in his lap. "Nightmare," he murmured, hoping he sounded natural.

Harry ducked her head and let her bangs hide her eyes, feigning embarrassment.

"I see. Sorry to hear that. Good brother as always, huh Dylan?" Remus' smile returned full strength, and the two siblings breathed a sigh of relief in their heads, though Dylan also inwardly winced at the compliment. "Harry, when you're done, we'll get to work on History of Magic a bit more before going over what you know in the other subjects. You're already beyond NEWT-level in the core subjects, so you can probably just take the tests at the Ministry by the end of this week."

"I should be in my sixth year now, shouldn't I?" Harry asked, slipping off of Dylan's lap and coming to Remus' side.

He really hoped that werewolves couldn't actually smell pheromones and crap or else…

"Yes, but you're actually beyond school teachings and into advanced studies already," Remus began to explain, leading the way out after a wave goodbye to Dylan. Harry's troubled eyes met his before she followed after her tutor.

"Fuck," Dylan muttered, thumping his head hopelessly against the table.

He went outside, hoping working on one of his cars would help him clear his head and relax a bit, when he saw an unfamiliar cop car resting outside his garage. It transformed and became a Cybertronian, though not one Dylan knew.

"So you're one of the little fleshlings Starscream and Soundwave like so much?" the mech mused.

_Why_  did he hear a  _smirk_  in the new Decepticon's voice?

" _Hey sister why you are all alone?_  
_I'm standing out your window_  
 _Hey little sister can I come inside there?_ "

Dylan blinked and then stared blankly at the mech, who stared straight back.

"What…are you…doing?" he asked him uncomprehendingly.

"Playing a song," the mech answered, voice sounding deceptively innocent.

" _I want to show you all my love_  
_I want to be the only one_  
 _I know you like nobody ever, baby~_

_"Little sister can't you find another way?_  
_No more living life behind a shadow."_

"Are you insinuating something?" Dylan hissed, life injected in him for a moment.

"I don't know. I was just thinking someone has a sister complex," the mech gave him a large, sharp toothy smile.

Starscream. It was all Starscream's fault. It had to be. If that stupid mech hadn't taught his little group of 'Cons human expressions, this totally wouldn't be happening…

"It's just your theme song, is all. It's suiting, isn't it?"

" _You whisper secrets in my ear_  
_Slowly dancing cheek to cheek_  
 _Such a sweet thing when you open up, baby~_

_"They say I'll only do you wrong_  
_Come together 'cause I understand_  
_Just who you really are yeah, baby."_

"I'm not saying anything at all. You're the one who's bothered. Why? Is there something  _you want to admit to_?"

Dylan continued to stare at the mech.

"I just thought it matched the two of you, especially after that little display last night."

Dylan's expression darkened and the wrench in his hand was thrown rapidly at the mech, eerily reminiscent of a certain terrifying Autobot medic, accurately hitting the Decepticon and denting metal. The mech transformed back into his altmode and drove away, with Dylan furiously chasing after him after having retrieved his wrench. The new arrival didn't want to be caught near the human with surprising strength.

" _Little sister can't you find another way?  
No more living life behind a shadow~"_

Started 2/15/12 –Completed 2/17/12


	5. The Sandman Lies

She tasted of sweetness and –

"Where are you two?" Barricade's voice grumbled from somewhere in front of their garage.

Dylan twitched. Harry giggled from underneath him.

"And again, I walk in on you two. It's a miracle no one else has," he could just picture Barricade rolling his eyes.

Jerk robot alien.

It had been a week since Barricade's arrival, and in the meanwhile he and Harry had taken to frequently sneaking around the mansion and the grounds with each other. Mostly, they sneak into each other's rooms at night, and let the night keep their secret.

Grumbling, Dylan moved away and Harry sat up uncomfortably.

"Really, making out in the back of your car like a bunch of teenagers. What are you two? Grown actors in a teenage drama TV show?" Barricade snickered.

Dylan glowered at him. "What fucking shows have you been getting into? I swear, you and the others get into too much media trends on Earth. Stay Cybertronian."

"But it's so much fun pretending to be human? You're all so crazy. I love it."

"Bastard bot."

"You mean 'Con."

Dylan sighed heavily. "Shut up. Just…shut up."

Harry shook her head and interrupted the two. "Stop fighting you two. Barricade, could you take me to town? I've got to pick up some stuff. Dylan, behave," she raised an eyebrow at him, smirking.

He huffed, but she merely pecked his lips before moving passed him and heading over to Barricade.

"Of course, my favorite Gould sibling," Barricade parodied a grin.

Dylan gritted his teeth, but didn't say anything. His sister went off with the mech, and he traveled unhurriedly to his home. He walked passed his strangely frazzled mother, and had decided to search out his father in order to discuss business with him, when instead he'd been sidelined by the holoform of the one and only Starscream.

"Dylan! There you are! But where's Princess?" Starscream pouted, looking around and trying to see if Harry was around.

Surprisingly, the holoform of Soundwave walked into view and gave a miniscule smile towards his charge.

"Soundwave, you're here. When did you arrive?" Dylan asked, taken aback by the other's surprised appearance.

"Oi, brat! Don't ignore me!" Starscream protested, but the other two ignored him.

"This morning. We have been discussing things with your father, and hadn't time to seek you or your sister out. As Starscream has asked, where is she?" his monotone voice grew soft and a touch fond.

"She's with Barricade. They went off to buy some things in town," Dylan informed them.

Starscream's pout worsened. "But I like her more than you! You're so boring, not wanting to go in the skies or anything. At least she loves flying!" he whined.

Dylan rolled his eyes, not understanding how his sister could equally love being in the skies like Starscream. At least Starscream made sense, being a Seeker and all.

However, when Harry did return, both Soundwave and Starscream could immediately catch that something was different between the two. Nothing bad…but definitely something different. When they'd been gone, something had happened between Dylan and Harry, and they were acting more unusual than they used to be before.

Being how they were, they couldn't possibly let this slide without finding out what was happening. Even Barricade refused to budge and Harry's mind shields were infuriatingly as solid as ever, and somehow extending towards Dylan and Barricade, not that she was aware of it.

So they separated the two, and soon enough Starscream had Harry with him in the air and Dylan was with Soundwave in the makeshift racetrack near the mansion.

"Not to be mean, but you two are annoying," Starscream declared, doing a loop that had Harry grinning.

"Eh? What's that supposed to mean, Starscream?" she pouted.

A small vibration rolled down her back courtesy of the chair she was sitting in, acting as an apologetic comfort.

"I'm exaggerating," Starscream huffed. "I'm just…merely worried. You and Dylan have been acting oddly, as of late. The two of you together…are different than what we're used to. You're off together."

Harry winced, hesitating. But then she couldn't help blurting out how she's been feeling towards Dylan and how he felt back, and that they've been secretly together for awhile now.

"It hasn't been too long, but…how close we are aside from that, maybe it was just inevitable," she muttered.

Starscream hummed. "Yes, inevitable. Actually, I've seen this coming for a long time. So has others. It really isn't all that surprising. I'm a bit disappointed that I didn't figure out immediately now."

Harry patted his console comfortingly. "S'alright, Starscream."

"Yes, yes….Now let's get this party started!" and Starscream started to accelerate just a little more.

Harry screamed in delight. "Faster! Faster!"

"Alright, dearest. Whatever you wish," and then he had his seatbelts move and clasp around her, securing her tightly to his seat. "Hold on tight!"

And then he was speeding away in the skies, with a delighted human girl in his cockpit.

By the time they were finished, they landed and were met with Soundwave and Dylan, who looked as equally as disheveled as Harry's windblown mess of hair. Not that she and Starscream's holoform weren't grinning freely.

"Had fun?" Dylan asked sarcastically.

Harry winked. "Extremely. You?"

Dylan's lips twitched. "I guess."

She practically skipped over to him and kissed him lightly, earning a surprised look from him and him warily glancing at the other two. Starscream rolled his eyes, leaning against the silver car Soundwave had taken on.

"Go on, you two. We still have business with your father. Go hide somewhere, you deviants," he snarked.

Dylan glowered at him, while Harry beamed happily and took her brother's hand and led the way away. Nearly an hour later, Remus had finally located them. Thankfully, the two hadn't been in any compromising position, so nothing was out of sorts or awkward, and Remus simply walked in on her watching Dylan fixing up a car and music blaring in the background.

"Hey, soul siblings!" Remus changed the lyrics of the song.

"I knew I wouldn't forget ya, and so I went and let you blow my mind~" Dylan sung with a grin, before chuckling lightly and shaking his head, using the wrench to turn something right.

"So Soul Sister, if you're ready to go, you can go to the Ministry and take your exams early," Remus turned his attention to Harry, grinning as well.

Harry clapped delightedly. "Really! That's excellent. It would be great to be able to practice magic freely, if I get all my credentials already."

"Fantastic," Dylan raised his eyebrows. "You better ace them, Harry."

"Of course!" she said indignantly. "I'm coming. I just have to get off my chair," she exaggerated, moving slowly off of her stool.

Earning bland looks from both men, she sighed dramatically and hurried up, walking over to Remus. With a wink from both of them to Dylan, Remus Side-Apparated her out of there. Soon enough, they were entering into the Ministry and were in the process of having to go through the watchwizard to enter into the Ministry's Atrium.

Of course, the oddest thing was that the watchwizard kept staring at her. She smiled awkwardly at him, wondering what was wrong.

"Er, are we cleared to go yet?" Remus cut in.

Eric Munch, the watchwizard, blinked and handed their wands back, turning red and shyly glancing at her. Remus ushered her passed, snickering under his breath.

"What…was all that about? And why are you laughing?" she looked at him in confusion.

Remus laughed louder. "I'm laughing at you."

"At me?! Whatever for?"

But he just shook his head and kept laughing.

They had just entered into one of the elevators and the gates were closing, when a hand shot out and stopped them. They both blinked, but wore smiles on their faces when Crouch stepped into view with his own warm smile.

"Hello, you two. I'm surprised to see you here. Anything special?"

"Harry's going for her exams today," Remus said proudly.

Harry grinned widely. "I'm going to get my credentials early."

"That's  _if_  you pass," Remus gave her a look.

She smirked. "Are you doubting your teachings, dear Remus?"

Remus started sputtering and blushing, while Crouch and Harry laughed good-naturedly at him.

"I, for one, do not doubt your teachings," Crouch directed to Remus. "Nor your abilities," he turned to Harry.

"Thank you," the two chorused.

"Good luck, you two. Perhaps I'll see you later," Crouch gave a small wave as he exited out of the elevator onto his floor.

The two continued on, and Harry was only then starting to feel a little nervous. But she needn't of have. She was absolutely brilliant and even to her surprise, she had managed to pull through everything so easily and smoothly.

She  _was_  grateful and happy…but she felt uneasy and just the slightest odd that something was…off. She couldn't pinpoint it, but she knew.

She headed home with Remus, looking very happy (and still inwardly a bit), but she was more troubled. She didn't want anyone to know, or to get worried, so she kept it to herself. She simply chattered away to her family about how she did in her exams and what she did, before going to bed. She spared Dylan a quick, tender kiss, but something was bothering her enough to want to just go to sleep and rest, of which she told him quietly. He worried a little then, but she gave him a reassuring smile and said she was probably just tired. When he offered to sleep next to her, she crumbled and couldn't deny him.

When she settled into bed and lay down, with Dylan's warm and comforting arms wrapping around her, she lay awake in his arms, even as he drifted off to sleep and she could hear his breathing slowly even out.

" _I'm ready to die."_

She flinched and her breathing sped up. Harry swallowed harshly, and carefully pried her way out of Dylan's hold. Her feet padded quietly to her adjoining bathroom, where she splashed her face with cold water. She patted it dry and then took the time to stare at her face in the mirror.

" _I'm ready to die."_

She was  _not_  ready to die. Where had that come from? Why was she hearing such a thing in her head?

It was inconceivable that she could ever think such a thing, much less really and truly believe those words to be true.

"I'm not ready to die at all," she muttered, glaring at her reflection.

' _I want to live. I want to be by Dylan's side. I want to fly the skies with Starscream. I want to meld my mind and my soul with Soundwave. I want to race wildly with Barricade. I never want to stop any of that. I don't want anything to do with death.'_

She took a shaky breath and then hurried back to Dylan. She slipped back into bed and wiggled her way back into his arms, and resolved to not think of such things. Instead, she tried to think of flying and maybe getting a broom, see how that felt and how it would be flying with Starscream like that. Thankfully, she started drifting into sleep soon after that.

But then she started to dream. And she dreamt of giant chess sets, monstrous snakes in chambers, horrible creatures that made everything feel dead and lifeless,  _'Kill the spare!'_ , silvery orbs, dead rising, and bodies everywhere and battles for the young.

And she remembered having dreams like these before, only now she dreamt to the very end and she died and she fell and she was no more.

She had been Harry Potter. And now she was Harry Gould.

She had been male and the Chosen One. Now she was female and an heiress.

She was living a much different life than she had been. She had a family, sometimes stiff and formal, but still a family and even a loving one. She didn't want for anything, wasn't starved or neglected, and wasn't pressured or being manipulated into any schemes or sacrifices and offering herself up like a sacrificial lamb.

She was fully in love with someone this time, despite it being her brother. She wasn't settling, going along with things because it was right and she had to love who she thought she had to. She had Starscream, Barricade, Soundwave, and all the others, unlike last time.

She didn't know what happened to the Harry Potter in this time/world. Didn't know if he was still alive, or had died early on, and what part would she still have to play in the universe's schemes. She didn't know if time had reversed or she had gone to another world. Whatever it was, she  _had_  been Harry Potter. She was Harry Gould now, and this was her life.

No one was making her have to save the world this time around. She could be just a normal witch that lived in both worlds and was in love with her brother.

Harry hadn't realized that as she dreamt and realized all this, that in the real world, her body convulsed violently and her brother was awake and panicking over her. He'd left to find the three mechs, who followed after him and worried with him over her, as she continued to convulse and refuse to wake up.

The moment her eyes snapped open, they moved back as she sat up quickly and began gulping in breaths.

"Harry? Harry!" Dylan called out as she passed out again, falling back into the bed and slowly easing into a regular sleep.

When she woke up again, light was drifting into her room. Her brother was lying next to her, and the three mechs were surrounding them.

"You're awake," Soundwave murmured.

Dylan woke up in a panic. "Harry?"

"I'm awake, Dylan," she said softly, gazing out of the windows. She stayed lying down, mind noticing the slow and steadiness of her breathing.

"Harry, what's wrong? What  _happened_  last night?" Starscream cut into her thoughts.

A bitter smile twisted her lips, and they quietly noticed it. She began to tell them of her old life, tears starting to stream down her face.

"I'm not him anymore. I'm not Potter. And yet I still feel like I have an obligation to save that world from that monster," Harry blinked away tears.

All of their faces had darkened at certain points during her retelling, and silently promised that she would never have to go through any of that and would never ever  _die_  for anyone, much less be some sort of sacrifice.

"You have nothing of the sort," Starscream said firmly. "Let the world rot. You are a princess. You should be  _served_."

Harry turned her head towards him, her lips lifting up slightly.

"It's a nice thought."

But it's not just a thought, they wanted to say to her. They didn't, because they knew she wouldn't believe them.

"I should remind everyone that it's breakfast time," Soundwave said suddenly. "We do not wish to alarm the others to our disappearance."

Harry shuffled up finally. "Yeah, we should be heading to the dining room. Preferably before they all come marching into here, and start asking why everyone's in here," she ended dryly.

There were some grumbling, but they all managed to head to the dining room as a group. Remus, Howard, and Elizabeth were already seated at the table and looked over at the grumpy group with raised eyebrows.

"Morning!" Harry was the only chirper person in the group.

"Good morning," Howard said wryly, eying the group.

"Ah, as everyone is now here, I think I should announce something," Remus started rather shyly. "I'm really thankful for your hospitality all these years. Now that Harry has wonderfully and masterfully passed her exams and is a full-fledged witch in the eyes of the Wizarding World, I have exceeded my role as her tutor. So…thank you all for being kind enough to offer me a home and a job all these years, and as soon as breakfast is over, I will start packing."

They all blinked at him.

"Are you kidding me, Remus?" Dylan asked incredulously.

"Oh dear. If you think that we'll kick you out now that you've finished teaching Harry, you've got it all wrong," Elizabeth said in distress.

"Yes, yes. You're family now, Remus. You can live here for as long as you want," Howard continued. "This is just as much your home as ours."

Remus looked at them in disbelief, before a smile broke out across his face blindingly.

"I…Thank you all. Truly."

Harry tutted and shook her head, spreading jam on her toast. "Silly Moony. We've collared you. You're ours. We're never gonna let you go, never and never and never –"

"Yes, I get the point," Remus rolled his eyes, ruffling her hair. "You get me an actual collar though, and I'll howl outside your window every night, regardless of a full moon, just so you can't get your beauty sleep."

Harry pouted as everyone laughed at her.

* * *

Harry's arms were folded lazily around Dylan's neck, as she stood on her tiptoes to kiss him again and again. They were standing in her room, and enjoying some time with each other. Her eyes fluttered close and she forgot how to breathe as Dylan started to kiss her more thoroughly.

And despite it all, she felt so guilty being like this with Dylan.

"Henrietta, I would like it if you were to –" their father's voice cut off and the two pushed away from each other hurriedly, worriedly looking at Howard.

His jaw had dropped and he was staring at them in shock. They had forgotten to lock the door, and now Harry was feeling even more guilty.

"F-Father," Dylan hesitantly started.

Howard picked up his jaw and pursed his lips, expression closed off.

"In my office, the both of you.  _Now_."

They flinched.

Started 8/13/13 – Completed 8/13/13


End file.
